BREAKING OF DORMANCY IN OLIVE (OLEA AUROPAEA L.) SEEDS

Dormant olive (Olea europaea L. cv. ‘Arbequina’), seeds, without endocarp, were treated with: a) Gibberellins (GA₃, GA₄₊₇, GA₁₃ and GA₁₃₊₁₄); B) norflurazon [4-chloro-5- (methylamine)-2-(a, a, a-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3-(2H)-pyridazinone]; c) red light ( = 660 nm, 2.8 Wm-2, 10 min); d)soaked in distilled water (3–12 days) or e) running tap water for 30 days.
Only the norflurazon treatments and the washing in running tapwater were successful.
Concentrations of norflurazon between 1 and 50 μM break dormancy and promote germination (radicle protrusion) to levels of 16% and 80% respectively.
However, after several days of growing, the pre-germinated seed become albino seedlings and they finally die.
The germination percentage of rinsed seeds reached 100% after 30 days of continuous washing at room temperature, and the pre-germinated seeds gave 94% of normal (green) and well developed seedlings after transfer to vermiculite.
Possible mechanisms for the norflurazon and water rinsing effects are discussed.

II International Symposium on Olive Growing

E.M. Sotomyor Leon, J.M. Duran Altisent

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.356.29